July 31, 2009

Wow -- Kelly and Victoria over on DesignTies were giving away an awesome piece of art by Matt Leblanc from New Brunswick, Canada -- and I won! Let me just say - I N-E-V-E-R win anything, and to win something so cool is amazing.

Check out Kelly's interview with Matt here, then check out the piece that will be gracing my home shortly here, and then check out Matt's work on his website here.

I'll let you in on a little secret - just between us - I'm celebrating a pretty big birthday next week (the big 5-0) and this a great surprise birthday gift!

July 28, 2009

Well, with all of the lovely weather (not) we've been having in Eastern Ontario, it was very easy to come up with the title of this post. With day after cool, rainy day, I have to say I have been "feeling blue", however that's not the BLUE I wanted to blog about. Let's try and lift our spirits with some talk and pics about the colour BLUE.

When I was a little girl, BLUE was my favourite colour. I wanted blue paint, BLUE wallpaper, BLUE decor, BLUE clothing (TG for BLUE jeans), shoes, jewellery, books... Every questionnaire that asked (and as a teenager, admit it, you did every one you could get your hands on) I filled in that asked my favourite colour - BLUE! We even had a dog named BLUE - who I still miss 34 years later!

You name it, it had to be BLUE - well OK not BLUE hair - back in the day we didn't have the means or the tolerance that we do today. Unlike my youngest daughter, who at the age of 15, decided that her hair should be neon pink. Figuring that heck, it's only hair and will grow back, I headed out to the local drugstore with her and picked up the bleach and Manic Panic and for one summer she sported a shockingly pink head of hair. But, I digress - back to BLUE.

From my studies, the colour BLUE, a primary colour on the Colour Wheel, is associated with the following emotions and physiological reactions – tranquility, calmness, faith, loyalty (true BLUE) among others. When used in advertising, BLUE is often used to promote cleanliness, travel (sea and sky colour) and precision. Gender wise, apart from the old adage pink for girls and BLUE for boys, BLUE is hiighly accepted by males, with dark BLUE symbolizing the corporate world and associated with strength and stability.

BLUE should be avoided in relation to food, as studies prove is is known to suppress the appetite. Now, I would like to interject here, that regardless of this last fact, I still plan to paint my dining room BLUE!

In languages, the word BLUE is derived from the Old French “bleu” from Germanic origin “blao” meaning shining. Although in the English language the term “BLUE” can mean feelings of sadness, in German it means drunk which equates back to an ancient use of urine, which the body produces copious amounts of, in dying cloth BLUE (ewwww!).

Of course, with my study of design and decor, I have grown to appreciate other colours and incorporate them into my homes - greens and yellows, mauves and pinks, garden and earth tones - but deep down inside I still have a hankering for BLUE. When I chose the colour for this blog - it wasn't a conscious decision - I naturally gravitated to the BLUEs.

So in honour of BLUE – let’s explore a bit – I hope you enjoy some of my favourites...

July 26, 2009

Dreamgirl over on Sweeter Living is giving away a one year subscription to House Beautiful. Sweeeeeet! I just found the Sweeter Living blog and love the variety of post subjects and Dreamgirl's candor, honesty and humour. Way to go Dreamgirl!

About Me

I'm Donna - 50-something, “Honey” to a guy who makes me laugh and fixes stuff; “Mumsy” to two beautiful, successful women and “Bella” to a couple of cutie-patootie grandsons. I work full time in IT and am a certified decorator in my spare time.
Why Paisley and Perspective? Life is a combination of both right and left brain. This is where they both meet.
creative … practical
Paisley & Perspective

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***All photos used in this blog are for the purposes of commenting. I try at all times to reference the source of the photo. If you find a photo that has not been referenced properly or would like a photo not to be used please contact me via email and all changes will be made within one business day*** All other photos are the copyright of dh designs and may not be used without written permission and referencing.